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Tanzania

WFP Tanzania: Monthly Situation Report No.04/2007

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(Reporting Period: 1 - 30 April 2007)

HIGHLIGHTS

Refugees received a reduced ration of 1,745 Kcal which is 83% of the recommended 2,100 Kcal full ration.

The ambassadors of Germany and Spain and representatives from the European Commission-ECHO, the US Embassy, the Canadian High Commission-CIDA in Dar es Salaam visited the refugee camps in NorthWestern Tanzania from 19 - 21 April 2007, accompanied by WFP staff and the Representative of UNHCR in Tanzania.

Kasulu district authorities have set 20 May 2007 as deadline for the Muyovosi refugee camp closure and have encouraged the refugees to fully participate in the consolidation exercise.

Mkugwa camp facilities have been officially handed over to the Kibondo district authority.

PIPELINE AND RESOURCE STATUS

WFP provided refugees with a reduced ration 1,745 Kcal during the reporting month. The ration comprised of 328g of maize grain or 304g of maize meal, 96g of pulses, and 40g of CSB, 20g of vegetable oil and 10g of salt. This represented 83% of the recommended SPHERE standards of 2,100 Kcal. See table below.

Table 1. General distribution rations applied in April 2007 and planned for May 2007

Commodity
Full ration
11 March - 8 April 2007
9 April - 6 May 2007
7 May - 3 June 2007
Maize grain
410g
328g
80%
328g
80%
328g
80%
Maize meal
380g
304g
80%
304g
80%
304g
80%
Pulses
120g
120g
100%
96g
80%
96g
80%
CSB
40g
40g
100%
40g
100%
40g
100%
Oil
20g
20g
100%
20g
100%
20g
100%
Salt
10g
0g
0%
10g
100%
10g
100%
Kcal
2,100
1,825
87%
1,745
83%
1,745
83%

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS

An official mission comprising of H.E. Mr. Wolfgang Ringe, Ambassador of Germany; H.E. Mr. German Zurita De Navarrete, Ambassador of Spain; Mr. Theo Kaspers, Governance Adviser of the Delegation of the European Commission; Mr. Reid Sirrs, Head of Development Cooperation at the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA); Mr. Happygod John at ECHO Tanzania and Ms. Maureen Latour, Political and Economic Officer at the Embassy of the United States of America visited North-Westerm Tanzania from 19-21 April. They were accompanied by Mr. Yacoub El Hillo, UNHCR Representative in Tanzania as well as radio and ITV reporters. The mission objective was to create awareness of the evolving refugee situation in North-Western Tanzania, advocate for funding of UNHCR and its cooperating partners for refugees in camps and in return areas and inform donors about the development challenges for the host communities. The mission visited Lugufu, Kasulu and Kibondo camps including selective feeding programmes supported by WFP. The refugees appealed for increased rations in their country of origin upon return.

The draft Qualitative Food Security Assessment report under the Secondary Data Analysis survey conducted in NorthWestern Tanzania refugee camps was completed on 28 April 2007. The final report will be released in late May as soon as internal review comments are finalized. The qualitative food security assessment substitutes the Household Food Economy Analysis survey as recommended in the 2005/2006 Joint Assessment Missions.

Kasulu District Commissioner, Mr. Said Bwanamdogo, held meetings with Burundian refugees in Kasulu camps on 28 April 2007 to inform them about the consolidation of Muyovosi camp into Mtabila. He set 20 May 2007 as the date of closure of Muyovozi and assured the refugees that they would be allowed back to harvest their crops after the consolidation. The refugees' movement will not have an impact on WFP operations as Muyovozi refugees have been assisted from WFP Mtabila Extended Delivery Point, managed by the Tanzania Red Cross Society.

Similarly, Mkugwa camp facilities (mainly buildings) have been officially handed over to the Kibondo district authority. During the handing over, the district authority declared that the facility will be converted into girls' secondary school and requested for continuing support from UN agencies.

WFP Burundi has repaid 2,000 MT of maize to WFP Tanzania. The loan was granted by WFP Tanzania in January 2007 due to temporary limited resources in WFP Burundi.

SECURITY

UNHCR Kasulu office reported a series of armed banditry incidents in Kasulu Burundian camps during the month of April: On 11 April, three armed bandits broke into the house of a Burundian refugee and shot him dead in Mtabila, before forcing his wife to give them money amounting to Tsh 200,000.

On 18 April, two armed bandits broke into the house of another Burundian refugee in Muyovosi camp and robbed him Tsh 200,000. The bandits threw hand grenades to scare people from pursuing them but no casualties are reported so far. On 23 April, two armed bandits broke into a refugee house in Muyovozi camp and robbed the owner of Tsh 20,000 and a bicycle belonging to CARE International. No relief workers were targeted in these incidents.